DTV delay… delayed? House votes down DTV postponement

The DTV transition may go ahead as scheduled on February 17 after the House …

Broadcasters and viewers have had February 17, 2009 circled on their calendars for some time. That's the day analog television broadcasts are supposed to become a thing of the past in the US. Earlier this week, the Senate approved a delay of the DTV transition to June, but what's going to happen now is anyone's guess after the House rejected the delay Wednesday.

The delay was actually supported by 258 congressmen, but House rules require a two-thirds majority for an expedited vote with no debate.

Proponents of postponing the transition to all-digital broadcasts have pointed to the empty coffers of the government's program offering free digital-to-analog converters for those with old analog sets who rely on over-the-air signals. Led by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), they raised concerns about unprepared Americans suddenly unable to get their boob tube fix come midnight February 17.

To many, the delay seemed a fait accompli: The Senate's version of the postponement bill, after all, had sailed through unanimously. Verizon, probably the most vocal private-sector opponent of changing the date, made its peace with a single short delay, despite earlier worries that a string of postponements might interfere with its plans to deploy its LTE network on the 700 MHz spectrum currently occupied by analog broadcasters. (Less sanguine was Qualcomm, which is ready to roll out mobile TV service on its own newly-acquired 700 MHz spectrum as soon as the current tenants vacate.)

Opposition to the delay in the House was led by Rep Joe Barton (R-TX), the ranking GOP member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee who authored the original transition bill. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Barton described the delay proposal as wholly lacking in merit and, invoking the emergency services also waiting for new spectrum to be freed up, argued that "Osama bin Laden isn't fictional, and he isn't waiting." House Republicans, a Democratic Hill staffer familiar with the debate told Ars, mostly lined up behind Barton, while "the companies affected did not lift a finger to explain the need for delay to members."

The House may still consider the delay after a full round of debate, and should Democrats side with the Obama Administration, the DTV transition will move ahead as originally scheduled. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) is pushing alternative legislation that would keep the deadline intact while offering emergency funding for the converter program.

Eric Bangeman
Eric has been using personal computers since 1980 and writing about them at Ars Technica since 2003, where he currently serves as Managing Editor. Twitter@ericbangeman